Ater Malum
by Jaskuep
Summary: This is how I would imagine Galbatorix's childhood to be like, from the egg hatching to... well, I don't really know yet. I will include Jarnunvosk dying and him getting Shruiken. Please review so I know whether to contine. PM or read for more info. BETA
1. Infantia

Prologue (or Afterlogue)

_As that fateful arrow flew from an urgal longbow and pierced his  
dragon's heart, he knew, somewhere in his mind, it would be fatal,  
and it would be better to give up. But he would not let go of his  
friend, his partner-of-heart-and-mind.  
_Use me, _a voice said in his mind, _Use my power.  
_His depleted energy was replaced by sheer fury, and the embodiment of a dragon's  
rage replaced his sanity. He did not fight the anger, he let it consume him.  
"Brisingr!" he shouted, and the nearest urgal was engulfed in a  
torrent of flame so powerful it did not have time to scream.  
"Jierda!" he exclaimed. The spell was so strong it broke every bone in  
the next urgal's body, and tore flesh from bone, leaving a mangled  
heap of bloody gore.  
"STENR THRYSTA!" A huge jagged heap of rocks  
leapt out of the earth and pummelled the two remaining urgals to death,  
leaving the corpses covered with jagged scars.  
"JARNUNVOSK!" He rushed to his dragon's side.  
"Waise heill." he said in a futile attempt to heal the grievous ten-inch deep wound.  
"Waise heill!" he repeated, but the wounds would not stay closed. Blood  
rushed from the puncture.  
"WAISE HEILL!" he screamed, to no avail.  
Jarnunvosk's skin burst from the pour of blood before the spell even  
finished_. I can heal this!_ He thought. _But what are the words?_ He would  
have remembered the seven words that repair the muscle close the hole  
in her heart and hold the blood in, but in his infuriated state, he  
could not remember even simple healing spells. _You shouldn't have  
given in to me,_ the voice teased in his mind.  
"NO! JARNUNVOSK!"  
He screamed in desperation as he felt his partner-of-heart-and-mind,  
Jarnunvosk, slowly pass into the void.  
"NO!"_

His gedwëy ignasia burst into excrutiating pain, shining ruby light, and as he fell to the ground,  
he swore to himself that he would avenge the death of his Dragon.

Vengeance...  
VENGEANCE!

Infantia

It was the day.

Every year, the elves carried the eggs into the little town of Inzilbeth, nestled against the spine, and Galbatorix pushed himself to the front as usual, trying to catch the first glimpse of the majestic egg carriers.

When they arrived, the elves set up a table by the broken fountain, and placed about half a dozen colourful dragon eggs on it.

Galbatorix bounced up and down, impatiently hoping it was their turn soon to look at the eggs. He had just to come of the age to be tested, and couldn't wait, but he was still young, so he went with his older brother, Frater.

"Calm down, Gab", said Frater, "you know nothing will happen, we're too ordinary."

"I know, but they're so pretty, such nice colours."

"Aye", Frater admitted, "they are."

Galbatorix watched as a 20 year old girl stepped up to the table. She gasped, and for a second Galbatorix thought an egg might have hatched, but she walked away disappointed into a side ally.

After what seemed like hours waiting in the small and dusty town square, they were finally at the front. Two elves stood guard, and Galbatorix marvelled at their perfect features.

He stepped up to the oak table and gasped, because other than the usual eggs, there were two new ones. One was sapphire blue, and the other was a dark crimson brown, with black veins. As Frater held all the eggs in order, Galbatorix patted the brown egg.

Suddenly a strange noise filled the air, but it wasn't unpleasant, and you could say it fitted in.

A dwarf in an apron who had pushed himself to the front of the crowd was astounded.

"Vor Guntera!" he shouted, "Look brothers, its hatching!"

"Aye", agreed one of the elves, who had stood silent the whole time, "that is it. He is a Chosen One."

Galbatorix was excited._ It's hatching.... Chosen one... _He turned to the fair haired elf.

"So I'm.. I mean, I am a… a …?" He was so excited he couldn't talk properly.

"Yes son, he egg has chosen you, and is going to hatch." He said, "You are now a Dragon Rider."

Galbatorix's eyes widened and he pointed to the egg and asked, "So that's mine?"

"Yes." said the elf who had introduced himself as Tolero. Galbatorix hugged the egg, and was surprised, because he could feel warmth, love, and care radiating from it.

Galbatorix, Frater, and Tolero walked down side alleys and back roads to reach their house, and managed to lose the crowd. They sat down on stools and placed the egg on the table. Frater got some cheese and bread while Tolero told Galbatorix about the Dragon Riders. They talked late into the night, and Galbatorix fell asleep on his chair.

The next day was similar, except for that Tolero probed Galbatorix's mind, and found he would have the power to control magic later on in his yet so young life.

Tolero tried to teach him magic, but it failed, and Galbatorix thought he would never master the skill.

During the next night, something in the back of Galbatorix's head had woken him up, and he walked dazed over to the egg. Something about it didn't seem right, and he called Tolero.

"Tolero, something is wrong with the egg."

Tolero walked in, took one glance at it, looked Galbatorix in the eyes and said,

"Galbatorix, your Dragon is hatching."

Suddenly the egg rocked back and forth on the old wooden table, and a crack appeared. The crack grew wider until the egg split in half, and fell apart.

The most beautiful creature Galbatorix had ever seen in his sixteen years of life poked its head out, and looked him in the eye. The little brown dragon had two bright green eyes and a series of sharp spines running down his back.

The hatchling stumbled towards him on its little legs, and squinted its eyes as Frater held a lamp to it to have a closer look.

It stopped before Galbatorix and nuzzled his palm.

An excrutiating pain shot through his body and he thought he had been struck by lightning. When he looked at his palm, he saw a shining silver spot parked right in the middle which looked like a .crystal.

"Whawhawhats thththisss…?" he stuttered.

"That is your gedwëy ignasia, and your bond to your dragon. I sorry, but I forgot to mention it before." Tolero explained with a gentle smile, "Now, I know this is exciting, but may you please hush for a moment, because I have to contact your tutor."

"Okkayy…" Galbatorix reached out for his dragon and patted its head. This time he felt the smooth, brown scales and marvelled at its beauty.

"What are you going to call it?" Galbatorix hadn't noticed Frater until then and was surprised.

"Oh… Well, I will call it Jarnunvosk after mum."

"Mother..." Frater murmured.

Tolero had watched this exchange quietly and said, "That is a good name, I couldn't think of a better one. Now, your tutor is going to pick you up in three days, so I suggest you pack your things, because you have a lot to learn. First, let us start with elven courtesies, and we'll slowly move down the track."


	2. Doctrina

Doctrina

**This chapter is dedicated to my one and only reviewer, xJellyMonsterx, who persuaded me to keep going. And please, to any one who can help, I NEED A BETA!!!**

"Do you like it?" shouted Verloran over the wing beats of his dragon, Sirocco.

"Like it!" Galbatorix exclaimed, holding on firmly to his tutor's belt. "I love it!"

"I knew you would", Verloran replied, "Every Rider has it in his blood."

The majestic elf had picked him up at daybreak and they had been flying northeast over Leona lake towards Iliria since then. Jarnunvosk had been curled up in Galbatorix's lap when she was not flying belong side, and was a natural flyer.

They stopped at noon for a break and made a stew out of a big variety of vegetables, spices and herbs over a fire which Verloran had made by muttering "Brisingr" under his breath. Galbatorix noticed there was no meat, and asked why.

"During your training and after it, you will never consume the flesh of an animal again, unless it is absolutely necessary." Verloran explained. "It is hard and confusing to understand at this point of your training, but you will understand later."

Jarnunvosk gnawed noisily at a leg of lamb, and Galbatorix was jealous.

"What about Jarnunvosk, she's eating meat?"

"Jarnunvosk is a dragon, and she eats meat and will be taught how to hunt because she is a carnivore and needs meat to survive. I will not speak any more of the matter unless we have to."

After that they ate in silence and Galbatorix wondered what life without meat would be like.

They kept on flying after lunch. Verloran explained about more of the ancient language and its courtesies while Sirocco taught Jarnunvosk how to fly properly.

"Galbatorix, can you see that mountain over there?" Verloran pointed west towards the Spine where a big mountain loomed out.

"Yes Verloran-elda, I can, but what about it?"

"That is Fell-Altus, young boy," Verloran said matter-of-factly, "and there is a great cave inside it, but it is a mystery about what is inside the cave, because no-one has returned alive. In fact, some people even call it Mount Mystery." Galbatorix was fascinated and decided to go there sometime.

They reached the great city by the lake, Dras Leona, at sundown and walked across to the east side of the city. While they were walking, Galbatorix was intrigued by the out hanging roofs and the crowded streets. He tried to imagine living here, but he couldn't picture himself in this great amass of bunched up houses.

They finally reached the Riders quarters, where all the Riders who visited the city stayed and opened the door.

When they entered the building, which was in better conditions than its surrounding fellow houses, they walked over to a portly man wearing an apron and his sleeves rolled up.

"Verloran!" he exclaimed with delight as he gave the elf a hefty hand shake. "You're back soon..."

"Yes," Verloran replied, "it's been very busy the last few days, with all those new dragon eggs and such. I must have a break soon."

"Aye," the landlord agreed, "tell me about it. I've had Riders come every day now, and we're running out of room."

He then turned to Galbatorix and said: "You must be Galbatorix; Verloran has told me all about you."

"How'd he do that?" Galbatorix asked but Verloran dismissed the question. "Don't worry about that yet Galbatorix. That comes later in your training."

The landlord gave them a key to a room and they walked towards a set of rickety stairs.

"I just came here yesterday with a young rider called Brom who the blue egg hatched for."

Verloran walked up the flight of stairs. Galbatorix was over joyed that there would be other Riders his age. "Are there more young Riders other than Brom and me, Verloran-elda? " he enquired.

"There is one more, called Morzan, whose dragon is red," Verloran replied. "Strangely, they are both with Oromis-elda."

Galbatorix was curios about this Morzan and stayed with the subject.

"What is his dragon's name?"

Verloran sighed and turned around. "I do not have that information and anyway, you have as many questions as there are leaves on a tree, so please limit them."

With that in mind, Galbatorix followed Verloran and went to their room.

Because he and his brother were poor, he was not used to proper beds, pillows, and other fineries, but expected a bit more luxury because he was a Dragon Rider.

After a dinner of simple but filling turnip soup which reminded him of home, Galbatorix asked where Sirocco and Jarnunvosk where.

"Jarnunvosk is learning to hunt, so she will survive if the time comes."

Later that night Verloran started to teach Galbatorix in the skills of magic. He took a pebble out of his pocket and handed it to Galbatorix. He then told Galbatorix what to say to make the stone rise, and Galbatorix tried.

"Stenr, Risa!"

The stone wobbled, then stayed still.

"Try again," Verloran encouraged.

"Stenr, Risa!"

This time the stone rose a foot in the air, stayed there for five seconds, and fell.

Galbatorix felt a great decrease in his strength. He sat down exhausted on his bed.

"Well done," remarked Verloran, who had been watching from his bed, "most people achieve nothing in their first few attempts, but you did well. When we get to Iliria, you will be taught the whole Ancient Language, known spells and the more fine points of magic."

The next day they woke just as the sun crept over the walls. They washed before heading downstairs for an early breakfast of fruit and porridge.

They walked through Dras Leona and Verloran showed Galbatorix all the wonders of the lake-side city and its neighbouring lake. Just as they passed a dusty tavern called "The Badgers Burrow", they heard shouts and screams coming from the far side of the city, and a low but loud horn blew.

"What's happening?" asked Galbatorix with a quiver in his voice.

"We're being attacked," was all Verloran said. They rushed through the narrow streets over to the far side of the city.

Streaming down a large hill were about 120 Urgals.

**Thanks again to xJellyMonsterx, who persuaded me to keep going. Like my Cliff hanger?**

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